Brent Boyer: Bringing the Olympics home

We make a lot of our Olympic tradition here in Steamboat Springs, and for good reason. The city nicknamed Ski Town USA has had a hand in sending more than 80 winter athletes to their respective sports' biggest stage.

These 2010 Winter Oly­mpic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, hold plenty of promise for some of Steamboat's finest skiers and snowboarders. Led by Nordic combined stars Todd Lodwick and Johnny Spillane, the Steamboat contingent heading north of the border this month embodies the individual and collective commitments of the athletes and community members who have dedicated themselves to the success of our Olympians.

We bid our local athletes an enthusiastic farewell Friday night during the Olympian Send-off and Community Celebration in downtown Steamboat. Fittingly, the event coincided with the 97th annual Winter Carnival, a unique Steamboat event that captures the essence of our ranching and skiing heritages. We'll now watch eagerly as our hometown athletes compete against the best in the world in hopes of earning a spot on the podium and the playing of our national anthem.

This Olympics Preview section is designed to help you enjoy these Winter Games. In the pages that follow, you'll find stories highlighting the events and athletes near and dear to Northwest Colorado. There are graphics that provide some additional insight into specific Olympic events and a detailed event schedule to help you keep track of who's competing, and when. We've also included a list of every athlete with Steamboat ties who has ever competed in the Winter Olympics.

But our coverage doesn't end at page 24. This year the Steamboat Pilot & Today is sending two journalists to Vancouver for the duration of the games. Photographer and writer John F. Russell will be joined by reporter Luke Graham to bring you up-to-the-minute coverage of Steamboat athletes competing in Vancouver. We're putting the finishing touches on an Olympic Web page that will serve as a one-stop shop for all your Olympic news, including photos, videos and articles from Russell, Graham and The Associated Press.

Thanks for letting us share in the proud tradition of Steamboat Springs Olympians, and we wish all the best to our hometown athletes.